๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ฒ๐๐
I built an AI dashboard. It was slow. Users waited 20 seconds for a summary. A loading spinner is not enough.
My backend used a Vercel serverless function. It waited for the full AI response before sending it. AI models take time to think. The user waits. The cost goes up.
I tried these fixes:
- Shorter prompts.
- Higher timeouts.
- Better loading labels. Nothing worked.
I switched to streaming. I used Server-Sent Events (SSE). SSE sends data in small chunks.
How it works:
- OpenAI API sends tokens as they are made.
- The server forwards these chunks to the user.
- The UI updates word by word.
The response feels instant.
Lessons I learned:
- Use fast models to avoid timeouts.
- Show partial text if the stream breaks.
- Ping functions to stop cold starts.
- Add rate limits to stop abuse.
Edge functions are better for this. They have less overhead. They handle SSE better.
Stop making your users wait. Stream your AI responses.
Optional learning community: https://t.me/GyaanSetuAi